Though Barnett’s role at ORIX “was growing by the day” (240), and though she hoped to focus fully on corporate law, she could not turn away from those unjustly sentenced to life in prison. She initially refused to take on the case of Corey Jacobs, but she later accepted a call from him. When she spoke with him, she noticed his extraordinary intelligence and positive attitude, and decided to take the case.

Before he was arrested, Corey worked closely with Biggie Smalls, a rapper who was “on the cusp of the impossible—power and influence on a global scale” (238). Then, Corey was arrested for an offense from his college days. He had been involved in the drug game only briefly and had not sold drugs for years. Like so many others, he was convicted on the testimony of others, who in return received lighter sentences. There was no physical evidence in Corey’s case, but given the alleged amount of ghost dope, he was given 16 life sentences. In prison Corey had an outstanding record, completing three major residential programs and “more than a hundred certificates in courses to substantially enhance his education and personal development” (246).